Dakimbrell

People go to the zoo and make a day of it. Non-model builders rarely spend the day at a contest. As a model builder, I have twice left a show I was not entered in when I found they wanted me to pay to visit the vendors. Are you more interested in making a profit or promoting IPMS and model building? Making a profit is fine, but there are better ways to make money than charging a high walk around fee. Dak

Is this going to be allowed in out of the box categories? Dak

That’s fine for those in the hobby, but transient visitors who could generate goodwill won’t pay premium prices. A high GA fee is the wrong place to make a profit. High fees erase goodwill. Day

The problem with a “day” ticket is still that many—-like my friend—-would only be there a couple hours and they might also resent paying to see the vendors where they will pay out money. Dak

I believe a nuisance fee is a good thing to keep out those that really have no interest, but just happen to be bored and looking for something to do. A fee of a dollar or two is fine. However, bigger fees work against us. I know few people who aren't serious model builders who would come in for more that a couple hours. They definitely wouldn't keep coming back every day. In 2003, I told a coworker about the convention and he brought his whole family only to be hit with a big fee which he wasn't willing to pay. He was really angry about it. No good will there. If you want to attract people, then let them in. Trying to make a profit on visitors is counter productive. Dak

Come to the Dark Side and start building tanks and Dioramas. I to have been building since I was 4 years old. First model was in 1958 and I glued the decals onto the model. Dak

At least you got the rudder on right. 😁 Dak

For those of you familiar with the animated series ARCHER, Lana needs no introduction. For the rest, She is a super sexy ISIS spy agency agent who is virtually fearless and tough. This is a Stalingrad beach girl figure which I did a while back. Quite honestly, I had almost finished her before I realized I had done the figure in one of Lan's costumes. Dak

This year I'm flying in and had to send my entries via a friend. So, this year I had loads of time on my hands before the National. Normally, I'd be up nights trying to make sure I got done in time. Now all I have to do is worry about my friend getting my entries there without breaking them. Dak

One more model from the Shelf of Woe completed just before I head to Las Vegas for the convention. With the withdrawal from Afghanistan I thought I would do it from the time the Mujahideen were the "good guys". The kit is the 1/35th Trumpeter kit with a figure from Stalingrad. Basically just OOtB. Dak

I have seen an OOTB nominated for a best of award. It may have won, too. It was some years back, and I’ve slept since then. The problem with Gil’s GSB is that it requires judges to use a standard and that can be hard for some to grasp. Many can never see the flaws in their own work and resent having reality explained to them. While I find OOTB to be an archaic concept in this day and time, it is quite clear many want and expect it at a show. Dak

Not mine. I have at least three ME walls. 🤣 Dak

The biggest advantage to keeping the awards small is that it is easier to transport and place with the model at home. Big awards feed the ego nicely, but they take up a lot of space. Dak

While I agree with Gil on a number for points, I still have to ask---how do you win a gold in out of the box? I still think it would be better simply to give an award to the best in a category. Don't worry about which of those is THE best. In one category you might only give one and in others multiple awards. I have been an advocate of the BODY OF WORK award. The more you bring would help towards an award. Of course, if you bring a lot of trash, it could hurt you. Dak

In many ways I prefer a small medallion to a big trophy. Easier to carry and display with the model. Do not charge per entry, but just do a base fee for unlimited entries if you want a good turn out. If you decide to go for a point based GSB award system, make sure all the entrants understand how it works. Experience has taught me people assume all contests are the same and they aren’t. Dak

You should consider how much work your group is willing to put into things. Using a GSB system based on points takes a lot of work. Not that the standard free range judging is easy, but establishing a point system and getting everyone on board is tricky. And as Nick pointed out, you must be willing to have some categories where no one gets gold. Even with a point system, someone still has to check the sheets for confusing things like 4 giving it a five and 1 doing a 2. The main difference is whether you want to judge the individual model or pick which are the best in a category. You might consider just doing an "award". Give out three or four in each category, but don't designate a place position. This could speed things up by not requiring the judges to pick a place line up. Dak

This is the companion piece to Tiger 112 from my Shelf of Woe. 721 is of course the one they brought back to Aberdeen. I depict it here as it was in American hands. The tool clamps are all 3D resin. the stenciling is home made on the computer and should be whiter. Since I can't print white on my computer, I went as close to white I could get and still be able to see it. The main objective was to complete a kit for the abandoned stack. The Lieutenant is an S&T bust with an Alpine head and the driver is a Miniart body with an Alpine head. The B&W picture shows my source of inspiration. The question is whether it is now Allied armor or still German?😏 Dak

I would say it is all subjective. At an air show at Tinker AFB in 1979, I saw an F4 Phantom with the rescue arrow applied off register. The imperfection interested me more than the pristine examples. If you want pretty pictures of the Grand Canyon, take them in the morning or evening. At midday everything it washed out. The same thing often applies to models. To be visually appealing, we do weathering and paint effects to make it attractive. I know it upsets some when I say model building is art. But as long as we praise the techniques that make them visually appealing, it will be in the realm of art. Many years ago, I remember one prominent person saying weathering was a gimmick used by model builders to hide defects in their work. He went on to say heavily weathered models weren’t worth looking at because he knew they lacked real craftsmanship. Well, times change. Dak

That’s the point. We don’t have all the information. A loader wearing headphones is possible, perhaps not probable, but definitely real based on one photo. So, if you were judging this, you give it the benefit of the doubt. Dak

Since this originally about accuracy and craftsmanship, here are some pictures. David Byrden, accredited author told me loaders on German tanks didn’t use headphones. Yet....... When I showed it to him, he posted another shot of the same tank. Obviously, the picture is posed, but it illustrates why accuracy is a heartless bitch. And why we are fools to get too carried away worrying about it. Dak

Scratch building doesn’t guaranty accuracy. It only guaranties any mistakes are yours alone. I too enjoy the competition. I can’t say I haven’t lost any sleep over judges decisions, but I still keep coming back. If you don’t play, you can’t win. The objective is completion, not perfection. Like with all art forms, the final result is the artist’s vision and not that of others. Michelangelo’s greatest critics were not the public, but other artists. And we are like magicians. We all know how the tricks are done or how we would have done them differently. It takes a lot to impress us. Dak

I’ve been working to clear two DML Tiger I kits from the shelf of wow. The first one #112 only took a few days. When I posted some pictures on another cite, David Byrden immediately pointed out the loader did not use headphones on German tanks! Who knew?! Two dozen books on Tiger tanks and dozens more on German armor and not one notation about loaders not wearing headphones! As I work on the second Tiger #712, I am finding a number of differences in small fitting from 712 and the kits. These are all “initial production” kits. In this case, my reference is the Research Squad book on 712 aka 250031, the tank brought to APG. The Haynes Manual which covers Tiger 131 at the Tank Museum and says it was the tank which knocked out Peter Gudgins Churchill tank. However, resent research has shown this to be incorrect. Byrden, again I think. It seems like historical research is like medical advances. Miss one seminar or one trade article and you are out of date! So we always can’t judge accuracy. Still, if you do Hartman’s Me-109 in reds and pinks with yellow crosses, you better bring your documentation!😉 Dak

Actually, I painted it so long ago, I am not sure exactly which colors I used. I do know they were all Model Master enamels. Both may be a mix to get the shades I wanted. Dak

I just know everyone is waiting for an update on my Tiger I, so here it is completed. As my friend Foster says, filthy armor. (Of course, he only does WWII airplanes and the odd submarine.) Dak

This Tiger still needs the figures. When it is done, I intend to go on and finish Tiger 712, another on my shelf of woe. both are basically just prize cows, but they will clear half done stuff off the shelf. Oddly, these kits don't provide antennas. Dak